Hand lantern



Mwah EL, 3%@ R L. DARLING HAND LANTERN Filed Sept. 23, 193

mmh ma 119%. R L, www@ www@ HAND LANTERN Filed sept. 23, 1932 2 sheets-sheet 2 m Fm@ Patented Mar. 31, 1936 STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND LAN TER/N Application September 23, 1932, Serial No. 634,472

2 Claims.

This invention relates to hand lanterns and more particularly to electric hand lanterns or ashlights of the kind in which the source of electrical energy in the form of a battery of electrolytic cells is disposed within a casing and this battery is in an electrical circuit including an incandescent lamp carried with the casing, and controlled by a switch accessible from the exterior o1 the casing.

One object of the present invention is to provide a hand lamp of the character indicated, in which the cells are readily accessible for replacement.

Another object of the invention is the disposition of the incandescent .lamp whereby it may be readily replaced without the necessity of disturbing other elements of the structure.

Still another' object of the invention is a hand lamp construction in which the reilector does not interfere with the ready access to and removal and replacement of the battery.

In carrying these aspects of the invention into effect, the incandescent lamp and battery are carried with one wall of the casing while the lens and reflector are carried with another wall, provision being made, in the preferred embodiment, for removing, either in whole or in part, the wall carrying the reflector and lens for ready access to the interior of the casing.

A further object of the invention is .the vprovision of a spare lamp carrier in the hand lantern.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a construction in which the supports for the cells and lamp, together with their electrical connections, may be assembled and inserted as a unit in the casing. To this end, these parts are mounted upon an insulatory base and the assembly so mounted is readily inserted within the casing and secured in position.

Yet another object of the invention is a circuit closer of extreme simplicity, which is capable of use in a hand lantern of this type. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, a movable member of insulatory material is rotatably held within a substantially U-shaped bracket carried with the interior of the casing so that a portion of the insulatory member extends through a slot in 'the casing for manual actuation and a resilient contact normally urged into electrical connection with the U-shaped carrier, forming part of the circuit, is adapted to be cammed away from the carrier by a protrusion on the insulatory member extending through a slot in the bracket.

The invention also has for an object a hand lantern which may be stood on its .base or bottom (Cl. .W10-10.65)

to illuminate the .area therebeore, and which can be supported by a bail or from the belt or from a hook or the like.

The invention also seeks a hand lantern which is practical from the standpoint of ease and cheapness of manufacture and convenience and durability in use.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment by which the invention may be realized, and in which:

Figure l is a view, in perspective, showing the hand lantern of this invention;

Figure 2 is a view in rear elevation oi the hand lantern;

Figure 3 is a View showing the interior of the front or removable face or cover of the hand lantern;

Figure 4 is a View showing the interior of the hand lantern With the front face or cover removed;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View taken in the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows, and ,showing the interior construction;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional View taken in the plane indicated by the line 6--5 of Figure 4 and showing specifically the spring clip contacts by which the dry cells are supported and included in the electrical circuit;

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 'l--l of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the support for the incandescent lamp;

Figure 8 is a detailed view taken on the line 8 5 of Figure 4 and showing the circuit closer of this invention; and

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional View taken in the plane indicated by the line 9 9 of Figure 7, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the lamp socket support looking from below.

Referring rst to Figures l and 2, the casing is substantially rectangular in form and is preferably composed of metal in the interest of durability and rigidity. As the hand lantern stands upon its base lil, as viewed in Figure l, its vertical section is oblong. Its sides are indicated at l2 and ill, respectively. A bail I6 is pivotally mounted on the top I8 by punching inwardly or depressing a portion of .the top, as at I9, and pressing outwardly the spaced .portions 20 in oppositely facing directions :to receive the inwardly turned ends of a substantially rectangular bail or hanger I6, the bail being of relatively resilient material, such as steel wire, so that the inherent resiliency thereof will retain the ends of the bail I6 in the sockets 29. On the rear face or back wall 22 is a spring belt clip or carrying member 23, preferably also of resilient material secured as by the two rivets 24, 25 to the rear wall of the casing and bent outwardly proximate the rivets so that the free end normally tends to engage the lower part of the wall, Figure 5, thereby to provide a bracket or clamp which can be slipped over the belt or over the edge of a pocket. Conveniently, this clip 23 may be formed With a key hole slot 26 so that it may be inserted over a button or a nail and supported thereon in the narrower part 21, as will be understood.

The front wall or cover 28 of the casing is removable. As shown, it is formed by stamping out a sheet of metal with a front face and top and bottom and side faces, forming a substantially rectangular dish-like closure, the sides 29 and top 30 and bottom 3I being adapted to register with and be in continuation of the side Walls IU, I2, I4 and I8 of the casing, which casing is also preferably formed as a stamping, pressed out of sheet metal in box-like form with the free edge 34, as shown in Figures 6 and '1, oifset inwardly all around to provide a rim over which the edge 29, 39, 3| of the cover ts or telescopes and a shoulder to limit the application of or to seat the cover on. At the lower end, this rim 34 is slotted, as shown at 36 in Figure 5, to receive an inwardly bent tongue 31 formed on the ange 3| of the cover to thus provide a detachable securing means substantially having the effect of a hinge for the cover. At the top, the upper rim 39 of the cover is apertured, as at 38, to receive a spring pressed detent 39 carried, conveniently, on the end of a leaf spring 40 secured as by a rivet 4I to the inside of the top wall I8 of the casing near the rear wall thereof, the detent being movable through a slot 42 in the rim 34.

Substantially centrally thereof, the front face 28 or cover is formed with an aperture 44 and the rim of the aperture is pressed outwardly to form a bezel 43 to receive and frame the lens 46. As shown in Figures 5 and "l, the lens is held in position by the flange 41 of a reflector 48 which, in turn, is held in position by buttons 50 which are, conveniently, diagonally disposed leaf spring members (Figure 3) pivotally secured near the corners of the cover as by the rivets 49 and adapted to be movable from the full line position shown in Figure 3 holding the reector 48 and lens in position, to the dotted line position, releasing the reflector and permitting the same and the lens to be removed. The reflector 48 is centrally apertured, as at 5I, for the passage of an ine candescent lamp 52, as hereinafter described more fully.

In one wall I4 of the housing, centrally thereof, there is formed a slot 54, preferably horizontally disposed, as the lamp is viewed in Figure l, and behind this slot is mounted a substantially U-shaped or semicircular shaped bracket or circuit closer housing 55, 56, having flat ends 51 lying in the same plane. This housing is formed by two parallel semicircular walls 55 enclosed or joined along the curved edges by a semi-cylindrical wall 56 which terminates in the flat ends 51. The ends 51 are secured, as by rivets, to the side wall I4 of the case, outwardly of the ends of the slot, while the semicircular wall portion 56 in conjunction with the outwardly turned ends 58 of the slot form a bearing for a cam member or switch actuator 60 of insulatory or non-metallic material, say, bre. This cam member 60 is generally disc-like, as shown, with a thumb piece 6I on one end protruding through the slot 54 for manual manipulation, and a cam 62 extending in substantially a diametrically opposite direction through a slot 63 formed in the semi-cylindrical wall 56 of the pivot member. The cam 62, in the position shown in Figure 8, carries a leaf spring contact 66 away from the U-shaped bracket 56 to break the circuit, as hereinbefore described, While in its other position, as shown in Figure '1, it is substantally out of contact or operative connection with the leaf spring contact, which, by the resiliency thereof, is carried into electrical connection with the U-shaped bracket 56 serving as a companion Contact member.

All the rest of the lantern structure, to wit, the clips for the dry cells and the lamp socket support and the leaf spring contact, are independently assembled into' a unitary structure outside of the casing and inserted as a unit therein and fixed in position. As shown, a sheet or plate 68 of insulatory material, substantially rectangular in outline, serves as a base and has secured thereto, Figure 4, at its opposite ends or adjacent the shorter sides, a pair of spring clips which both make electrical connection with the terminals of the dry cells indicated in broken lines at 69 and also serve to hold the dry cells in position.

Looking now at Figures 4 and 6, and considering the lantern as standing on its bottom I0, it will be observed that at the right hand upper side near the right hand upper corner of the insulatory plate 68, as there shown, is mounted an L-shaped spring contact clip 10, 1I, conveniently, by means of a single eyelet 12. This L-shaped contact member is substantially only of such Width that its free end or arm 1I may engage and hold the central terminal of the dry cell. Conveniently, the upstanding contact arm 1I is depressed or recessed as at 13 to lit over and receive the brass cap on the central cell terminal to further facilitate the positioning of the battery.

'I'he positive clip 15 for the other or negative end of the upper cell 69 at the left upper corner, is shown as of material greater width as compared with the opposite terminal and is provided with two upstanding spaced resilient arms 14 extending in spaced relation from a common base 15 and inwardly bent near their outer ends to engage the bottom of the zinc shell terminal of the dry cell. These bases may be secured to the insulatory plate 68, as by a pair of eyelets 16, as indicated. Similar contacts are disposed on the opposite or lower end of the insulatory plate 68, as shown in Figure 4, with the exception that the position of the two contacts 16, 15 are reversed for convenience in making the electrical connections therebetween. Similar reference characters are aliixed to the contacts at each end.

From what may be called the lower negative contact clip 10, at the one end of the casing, there extends a bus bar 18, secured thereto, as by the eyelet 12, which also secures the base 19 to the plate 68, and secured to the positive contact clip 15 at the upper end of the casing by one of the rivets 16.

Centrally of the insulatory plate between the location for the two dry cells is a'substantially rectangular bracket member 8) formed'by bending a strip in the outline shown in Figure 7, the two feet 82 being outwardly bent and secured, as by eyelets 83, to the insulatory plate 88. Centrally, the offset part of this bracket member is formed with an aperture 84, which is adapted to receive the end of a threaded conductive lamp socket 86. The lamp socket is held in position by virtue of the outwardly directed iiange 85 formed on its lower edge which extends beneath the rim oi the hole 84 in the bracket 88 and is clamped thereagainst by a disc or washer 8l ci insulatory material formed with a central aperture 88 of substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the lamp socket 88, which disc or washer is secured to the bracket by means of spaced eyelets 89 also securing a transverse contact member 98 beneath the washer, for engagement by the central terminal of the lamp and which, by reason of the disc, is insulated from the lamp socket.

One of these rivets 89, which secures the lamp socket assembly together, also secures thereto a bus bar 92 extending from the lower positive battery contact 'l5 to which it is secured by one of the rivets l securing it to the insulatory plate 68. The leaf spring switch member 86, hereinbefore described, is also secured in electrical connection with one foot 82 of the bracket 88 by one of the rivets 83 securing the bracket to the insulatory plate 88.

After the parts are assembled as described, a sheet or plate of insulatory material Sil, such as fiber, is first laid in the bottom of the casing and then the assembled structure is inserted so that the insulatory plate rests thereon, These parts are then secured in position as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, by the rivets 25 which also hold the belt clip in position, one of these two rivets being also utilized as the rivet which secures the upper negative battery contact clip l@ to the insulatory plate and this rivet also serves as the electrical connection between that negative battery contact clip 1D and the metallic casing which serves as a ground.

It will thus be obvious that the underneath insulating layer 94 eifectually insulates all eyelets from the casing and hence prevents short circuits in the electrical circuit, the rivet 25 on the one hand and the circuit closer case 56 on the other hand serving to complete the electrical connection with the ground 22.

The electrical circuit will now be understood. Referring briefly to Figure 4, it will be noted that the electrical circuit includes the casing 22 as a ground, the rivet 25, the upper spring contact clip 10, ll, the central pole of the upper battery 89, the negative pole of that battery which is the zinc shell, the positive spring clips lli, l5 at the opposite end, the bus bar 'I8 extending therefrom, the lower negative battery clip lll, il at the opposite end, the positive pole of the lower cell 68, the negative pole which is the Zinc shell, the positive spring clip lli, l5, the bus bar 92 extending therefrom to the transverse lamp contact member 9|] on the lamp socket support, the central terminal oi the lamp, the threaded shell terminal, the lamp socket 88, the lamp socket supporting bracket 80, the resilient switch contact member 66, the metallic switch casing 56 and thus back to the lamp casing as the ground when the switch is closed, as shown in Figure 7, the circuit being interrupted when the cam member is rotated to theipositiori shownl vin Figure 84 and the two switch contacts 66 and 58 separated.

If desired, the hand lamp may be provided with a spare lamp carrier which is conveniently disposed in the space between the two cells and one side wall i2 and the lamp socket support 88 on the opposite side to the switch. As illustrated, this spare bulb carrier may consist of a U-shaped member 96, the arms of which resiliently engage a lamp base (Figure '7) disposed therebetween and which is conveniently secured as by a rivet 9'! to the side of the casing about midway between the rear wall and the front.

When the parts are assembled, the lamp 52 and lamp socket 86 extend within the hole 5I in the reilector and, if desired, a tube 98 of insulatory material may surround the lamp socket and extend upwardly a distance suicient to also surround the exposed portion of the lamp base to insulate the same from the rim of the hole in the reflector and prevent any accidental contact when the cover Z8 is being removed or replaced. By means of the bracket 8|), the filament of the lamp 52 may be positioned substantially in the focus of the reector to obtain the most effective light ray.

It will thus be seen that a particularly compact and convenient hand lamp has been provided. To remove the cover and gain access to the interior, it is merely necessary to depress the detent of the latch out of the slot and remove the cover carrying with it the lens and reflector and exposing the lamp and electrical cells. The lamp may readily be unscrewed and replaced and also the batteries removed and replaced, either one of which replacements being permitted without obstruction by any other part of the lamp construction. Further this construction is particularly convenient and economical to manufacture since all of the parts may be assembled on a single sheet of insulatory material and inserted in place, and only two easily inserted rivets are required to secure the parts permanently in position, the rivets being also used to secure the belt clip in place. The disposition of parts aiords a sightly and convenient hand lamp in use which avoids all of the disadvantages of existing hand lanterns.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the composition, conguration and disposition of the various component elements going to make up the invention as a whole, as well as in the selection and combination of the several elements one with another or for independent use, and no limitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawings, except as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed isz- 1. A hand lantern comprising a case, a belt clip carried with the rear Wall of the case, a base plate of insulatory material tting within the oase, an inverted U-shaped metallic strip secured transversely of the base plate, a lamp socket and a contact member secured thereto, a battery contact clip disposed at each corner of the base plate, a bus bar electrically connecting two contact clips on one side, eyelets securing each clip, the bus bar and the base plate together, a bus bar electrically connecting one of the contact clips on the other side with the contact member of the lamp socket support, a conductive switch housing secured to the case, a resilient switch contact yieldingly engaging the housing and in electrical connection with the U-shaped strip, an eyelet securing the switch contact, the strip and the base plate together, an insulatory sheet interposed between the base plate and the case and insulating said eyelets from the case and a rivet passing through the fourth contact clip, the case and the belt clip to secure them together and complete the electrical circuit.

2. A hand lantern comprising a case, a base plate of insulatory material fitting Within the case, an inverted U-shaped metallic strip secured transversely of the base plate, a lamp socket and a contact member secured thereto, a battery contact clip disposed at each corner of the base plate, conductive means electrically connecting two contact clips on one side, conductive securing means securing each clip, the conductive means and the base plate together, a conductive means electrically connecting one of the contact clips on the other side with the contact member of the lamp socket support, a conductive switch housing secured to the case, a resilient switch contact yieldingly engaging the housing and in electrical connection with the U-shaped strip, securing means securing the switch contact, the strip and the base plate together, an insulatory sheet interposed between the base plate and the case and insulating said securing means from the case and conductive securing means passing through the fourth contact clip and the case to secure them together and complete the electrical circuit.

ROY L. DARLING. 

